‘Organic waste’ can be described as anything that comes from plants or animals that is biodegradable. The term ‘waste’ implies that the organic matter from a plant or animal was not used for its intended purpose, or is ‘leftover’. For example, after a chicken is cooked and eaten, the bones of the skeleton are leftover and cannot be ingested any further by most humans. Thus, the remaining bones have become organic waste, and will be disposed of. Furthermore, organic waste can include paper products, such as paper napkins or paper towels, derived from plant materials. Other examples of organic waste include vegetable scraps, fruit scraps, cut grass, coffee grounds, milk, and newspaper.
Organic waste that is produced by urban establishments, including households, offices, libraries, restaurants, and schools, can be used to produce compost. Compost is organic waste that has been decomposed by living microorganisms to be used as a fertilizer for soil. These microorganisms gain energy from the carbon found in the organic waste, and use the nitrogen in the organic waste to grow and reproduce.
Thus, healthy compost has a carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratio that aids these microorganisms. Furthermore, air plays a vital role in the breakdown by microorganisms of carbon for their energy, and lack of air can produce a rotten egg like smell that emanates from the organic waste pile. For proper decomposition of organic waste, air and its constituent elements, i.e., oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, etc., must contact the organic waste. It is also necessary to control moisture levels in the compost. Too much moisture in the processes leading up to the final compost product are signs of an unbalanced, and thus an unhealthy, compost. Excess moisture is also a key contributor to harsh odors. It is necessary to control moisture levels throughout the compost creation process.
To reduce or eliminate such odours is desirable for many reasons. When organic waste is left to decompose in close proximity to human habitats i.e., offices, apartments, houses, lobbies, etc., odors can create undesirable atmospheres that may limit normal human activity. Furthermore, the unpleasant odors can deter humans from partaking in the duty of separating and removing organic waste in the most efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Thus, organic waste is not separated and is disposed of with normal waste or garbage to the landfill, bypassing infrastructure and technology intended to dispose of organic waste separately.
This inefficient allocation of organic waste results in adverse environmental and economic effects. For instance, many communities have implemented organic waste disposal programs, which redirect organic waste from the landfill to facilities that specialize in the recycling of organic waste. Each member of such a community is given a method of which to dispose of their organic waste. If members do not partake in this program, there are two general adverse effects: First, the resources allotted to the program are either not utilized or are under utilized, resulting in an inefficient allocation of the resources. Second, organic waste is disposed of in traditional disposal sites, which increase the size of these sites, and also forgoes organic wastes' ability to be recycled into compost, fertilizer, energy, feed stock, etc., resulting in environmentally adverse impacts.
Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in: Canadian Patent Numbers 2770305, 2234198, 2226022, 1218320, 2226022, 1260728, and 1222640. German Patent Number 19534874. Russian Patent Number 0002414444. Australian Patent Number 202247. World Patent Number 2002013949. However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages:
There is a masking of smell, rather than a removal of the smell. This is exhibited when inventions utilize pleasant smelling fragrances without manipulating the chemical reactions within the organic waste that produce malodorous substances. This masking effect may remedy the initial malodorous substances produced when organic waste is first disposed of in a receptacle near humans, i.e., homes, apartments, offices, libraries, etc., however, when this organic waste is transported to secondary storage areas from the initial receptacle, the smell is still prevalent. One instance of this could occur in an apartment building where organic waste must be transported from individual apartment units to a collective disposal area to wait for removal to a treatment facility. Organic waste will continue to decompose and produce unpleasant odors.
Another problem associated with one or more of these references is the inability to economically translate the embodiments to various receptacles that hold organic waste. Various receptacles are used in the storage and transportation of organic waste from initial disposal to final recycling, each with different dimensions and or functionalities. The possible difference in receptacles present a problem for previous inventions that can not form to the dimensions or functionalities of these receptacles, thus hindering the ability to reduce malodors from the organic waste.
Another problem associated with one or more of these references is the lack of aeration provided to the core of the organic waste pile. In other words, lack of air is present in areas in the middle of the organic waste pile, thus producing malodors. It is not enough to simply provide aeration to the top of an organic waste pile because lack of aeration in the lower levels of the organic waste pile are sites where malodors will be produced. Furthermore, additives to the organic waste heap may cause clumping or congestion, which can also reduce airflow to parts of the organic waste pile.
For the forging reasons, there is a need for a carbon-based odor absorbent for organic waste that works with the natural chemistry of the waste, provides efficient air flow to the waste, and is economically viable to produce and use in today's society.